Chapter 056 Fierce Confrontation
"These people are so brave," Xu Hongji angrily slapped the table, and then asked, "YCIS, are you injured?"
"Thank you, Mr. Xie, for your concern. It's nothing serious. It's just that Taoyuan County Magistrate Huang Ming was assassinated by a man in black. Now there is a strong witness missing. Wang Yiqing and Dahewei's people may be able to clear away the suspicion." Chen Cao Said with cupped hands.
Xu Hongji waved his hand nonchalantly: "As soon as this incident comes out, I will report to the court and ask Wang Yiqing to be removed from the post of general water transport soldier and let the court appoint another person. As for the people of Dahewei, huh, I will give them to the Nanjing Fifth Army Commander's Office." I wrote a letter to remove him from his post and let the people from the Ministry of War choose someone else."
"My lord, the most important thing right now is Lin Yaoyu." Chen Cao handed over his hand: "My disciples are worried that Yang Yipeng will use this issue to make trouble tomorrow and talk nonsense to us."
"I know a thing or two about this," Xu Hongji said seriously: "Lin Yaoyu's reputation is that everyone in Jinling City is very good. Originally, the imperial court asked him to come to Nanjing to be the Minister of Rites, but it seems that Sheng Yihong will become an official this year, so If he stays in the capital, he is afraid that he will become the Minister of Rites. He dislikes the eunuchs the most. You don't know. A few months ago, Wei Zhongxian asked him to inscribe an inscription for his mansion, but Lin Yaoyu angrily reprimanded him. Wei Zhongxian corrected his order and asked him Lin Yaoyu used this to humiliate him."
"Is there such a thing?" Chen Cao's thoughts suddenly came to him.
Xu Hongji shook his head: "So, he knows that you are a eunuch, so you should be careful when you come here tomorrow."
"If there is something going on, please turn a blind eye..."
...
Lin Yaoyu's ship arrived in Huai'an Fucheng early the next morning after Chen Cao was attacked. He was very concerned about Huang Ming's attack and killing, and ordered the Huai'an prefect's Yamen to investigate the matter strictly.
As soon as noon passed, Lin Yaoyu joined Xu Hongji and invited the governor of Huai'an, the chief soldier, the prefect, Dahewei and other officials in charge of the yamen.
"Wei Guogong, your Majesty is extremely concerned about the robbery of summer grain this time. The matter is of critical importance. The princes in the court have agreed to ask the official to come here to handle the matter with Wei Guogong. The official has always been strict and will definitely punish the officials involved. ." After Lin Yaoyu sat down, he first expressed his attitude towards this trip to Xu Hongji.
Xu Hongji nodded: "I am guarding Nanjing. The incident occurred in Nanzhili. Naturally, I have no shirk of responsibility. The matter involves officials from Nanzhili. Naturally, I will investigate it to the end."
After the two spoke in official terms, they got down to business. Lin Yaoyu first asked Yang Yipeng many matters according to the rules, and then asked Xu Hongji to promote many generals and officials such as Wang Yiqing and Dahewei who were imprisoned.
Finally, Lin Yaoyu raised his hand towards Xu Hongji and said, "Wei Guogong, I have something unclear about this official."
Xu Hongji returned the greeting: "Master Lin, please speak."
"After my official inquiry, I would like to ask Wei Guogong, does everyone in Taoyuan County know that Tian Laohu caused trouble for the canals and waterways around Taoyuan?" Lin Yaoyu looked at Xu Hongji and said.
Xu Hongji had already heard about Chen Cao, so he said: "It has been many years since Tian Laohu caused trouble for the canal and waterway in Taoyuan County. Everyone in Taoyuan County must know about it."
Lin Yaoyu nodded, thanked Xu Hongji, and then stared at Huai'an Magistrate Liao Fan who was sitting below: "Governor Liao, I want to ask you, Tian Hu has done harm to you in Huai'an for many years, and you are the magistrate, why haven't you Destroy them?"
Yang Yipeng knew who Lin Yaoyu was, but he didn't know if Lin Yaoyu was one of his own, so he didn't dare to speak randomly.
When Liao Fan was asked by Lin Yaoyu, he felt a little panicked. He glanced at Yang Yipeng from time to time, and Lin Yaoyu scolded: "Prefect Liao, I am an imperial envoy of the emperor. Now I am asking questions on behalf of the emperor. What do you think Governor Yang is doing?" ?”
Liao Fan trembled, and then he cupped his hands and said, "Sir, everyone in Huai'an does know about Tian Huo, but it is in a depression in Taoyuan County, surrounded by mountains behind it. As soon as the people of Dahewei are dispatched, they will be killed." Just escape into the mountains, the troops and manpower are limited, the official is really powerless, please be clear to me."
"Wei Guogong, the official is Tangtu. Huai'an belongs to the territory of Nanzhili. Wei Guogong is the garrison of Nanzhili, so he should cooperate with the people to clear it up." Lin Yaoyu changed the subject and immediately put his head on Xu Hongji's head.
When Xu Hongji said this, he felt that it was such a truth. He immediately felt that he was wrong and could not hold back his words. Chen Cao was sitting in the next seat. Seeing this situation, he immediately said: "What Mr. Lin said is true, so the Duke I then sent my Nanjing Right Guards and the Navy to encircle and suppress them, but fortunately they did not disgrace their orders."
Lin Yaoyu had met Chen Cao several times in the capital and recognized him, so he said: "It turns out to be Mr. Chen. Since Mr. Chen's men can destroy Tian Hu, why not take action early? We have to wait until the summer grain is robbed, and then make amends. ?”
It turns out that this old guy is waiting for me here...
Xu Hongji couldn't answer. Chen Cao thought for a while and then said with a smile: "I'm afraid Mr. Lin has misunderstood. Although Wei Guogong is guarding Nanjing, the entire Nanzhili is so big. How can he send out garrison troops to clear out just a few people unless it is a last resort?" Tian Huhu? Don’t you think Mr. Lin is a little overqualified?”
Xu Hongji reacted immediately, nodded repeatedly and said, "Well, what Chen Cao said makes sense, and I mean the same thing. Otherwise, how could that tiger Tian be free for so long?"
"Moreover..." After Xu Hongji finished speaking, Chen Cao continued: "Huai'an Prefecture has the Governor of Water Transport, the General Military Office, as well as the Huai'an Magistrate's Office, Dahe Guard and many other offices responsible for the eradication of tigers in the fields. , they local yamen in Huai'an are the first to bear the brunt." Chen Cao stood up and held his hands towards Xu Hongji and Lin Yaoyu: "Master Guo, Mr. Lin, I am the commander of the Jinyiwei of Nanzhen Fusi, and now I am questioning everyone here as a Jinyiwei. Dear officials, do you know anything about Tian Hu?"
Chen Cao felt very uncomfortable being suppressed by Lin Yaoyu, so he decided to turn his back on the guest and attack first. Besides, there was also the attack last night, so he couldn't let it go: "Let me just say it first. According to the investigation of my Jin Yiwei, Tian Laohu In Taoyuan County for many years, it was the tacit approval of your officials in Huai'an. In the fourteen years since Tianhu occupied Taoyuan, you Huai'an only carried out conquests in the thirty-seventh year of Wanli and the forty-fifth year of Wanli, but..." Chen Cao stared at Liao Fan: "Huang Ming, the magistrate of Taoyuan County, once said before his death that the magistrate's office in Huai'an only sent one hundred households from Dahewei to go there. After two campaigns, the total force was no more than 300 people, and Tian Hu's thieves There are two hundred people in the cavalry team alone, not counting those little guys."
"Master Chen, please don't make lies out of thin air," Yang Yipeng saw that Liao Fan was speechless when asked by Chen Cao, so he came forward to explain: "Huang Ming was killed because there was no evidence, and his words no longer count."
Lin Yaoyu also nodded: "I have ordered the local government to investigate the attacker last night. He dared to attack and kill the imperial official. He is really daring."
"It's not necessarily a thief shouting to catch a thief..." Yang Yipeng said disapprovingly.
Lin Yaoyu turned to stare at Yang Yipeng: "There is something wrong in Mr. Yang's words, how can I explain it?"
Chen Cao looked at Yang Yipeng coldly, wanting to see what he could say.
Yang Yipeng raised his hand towards Lin Yaoyu and said: "During the reign of Emperor Wen, before Ji Gang's rebellion, he fabricated evidence to frame the loyal ministers. This is a precedent; during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Liu Jin was dictatorial and used Xichang to hijack the Jin Yiwei, and he was framed for the crime. How many ministers are there?”
Lin Yaoyu turned to look at Chen Cao. Chen Cao kept staring at Yang Yipeng coldly, then burst into laughter and spread his hands: "My lords, don't forget, I am the commander of Nanzhen Fusi."
"Ah haha..." Yang Yipeng also laughed and said, "Did Mr. Chen forget that he is a Jin Yiwei?"
Chen Cao's face was as dark as water. When Lin Yaoyu saw this, he said: "Whether this is the case or not, we really need to find out. I will report to the court and ask the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple to send detectives here."
Yang Yipeng added jealously: "Mr. Lin, you can also ask people from the six gates to come here. They are familiar with the tricks of the world."
"Well, that makes sense," Lin Yaoyu nodded: "What does Wei Guogong think of these things Mr. Yang said?"
Xu Hongji understood that this was a trap, and he had to answer the question, and said: "Some things are getting darker and darker. I only look at the results, and I will not do anything that makes wild speculations."
Yang Yipeng's face suddenly turned cold. Xu Hongji was obviously teasing him, but due to the huge difference in status, he didn't dare to say anything. They all looked at Chen Cao at the moment.
Chen Cao sneered and shook his head, then said with an evil smile: "Master Yang, what you mean is that I brought the attack on myself, and Huang Ming's death must be blamed on me?"
"Hey..." Yang Yipeng waved his hand innocently: "I didn't mean that."
Chen Cao ignored him as he spoke and raised his hands towards Lin Yaoyu and Xu Hongji: "According to the investigation, Taoyuan County's Prime Minister Wang Chong, Envoy Wang Li, Inspector Qin Wen, etc. have all confessed their crimes to our Jinyi Guards. Because it was a secret report, Therefore, the official has sent people to protect all three people and their families."
Lin Yaoyu nodded: "Well, I will bring all these people up later, and I will ask them carefully." After that, Lin Yaoyu looked at Xu Hongji: "Wei Guogong, the matter of summer grain involves water transportation. When I come, His Majesty has repeatedly warned that nothing should happen to the water transportation, and asked his subordinates to carefully rectify the water transportation."
Xu Hongji didn't know as much about the twists and turns in water transportation as Chen Cao, and obviously Lin Yaoyu, a veteran in officialdom, didn't know how to ask such a simple question, so he looked at Chen Cao.
After Chen Cao gave a slight signal, he then said to Xu Hongji: "My lord, there is something I need to tell my lord."
"speak..."
In front of everyone, Chen Cao said loudly: "It is reported that the thieves who hijacked Xia Liang are from the Caogang."
"Caogang?" Lin Yaoyu frowned, then turned to look at Yang Yipeng: "Master Yang, do you know?"
Yang Yipeng said calmly: "Mr. Lin, what Mr. Chen said is a bit untenable. He said he is from the Cao Gang, so he is from the Cao Gang? Those thieves come and go without a trace, how can we prove that they are from the Cao Gang? Maybe they are from Tian Mr. Chen deliberately said that it was someone from the Cao Gang to confuse the public. Mr. Lin may not know that Mr. Weng Shijie, the leader of the Rentang Hall of the Cao Gang, had committed a crime in Jinan and reported it to the capital. He heard that Mr. Chen and Mr. The Weng family is old, and they even specially promoted Weng Meixin, a criminal of the Weng family, from my governor's office to Jinyiwei. I wonder what Mr. Chen wants?"
Chen Cao didn't say anything. He knew that Yang Yipeng did it on purpose. After hearing this, Lin Yaoyu looked at Chen Cao: "Master Chen, is this absolutely true?"
Chen Cao raised his hand to Lin Yaoyu with a stern face: "There is something wrong, but the subordinates are also acting according to the rules of my Jinyiwei. The Weng family's affairs involve rebellion, and I, the Jinyiwei, have the responsibility to intervene, not to mention that he is still in our southern Zhili territory. , Promoting the Weng family is a matter of procedure. As for Mr. Yang saying that I have an old relationship with the Weng family, hey, I don’t know where Mr. Yang got the unverified information."
"You..." Yang Yipeng found that his words were indeed flawed.
Upon seeing this, Lin Yaoyu knew some of the secrets, and asked again: "I wonder if Mr. Chen has found any valuable clues?"
"Yes..." Chen Cao said loudly: "Master Lin, we can interrogate Tian Hu, the leader of the Taoyuan thieves."
"Come here, bring Tian Laohu to court..."
Tian Laohu was fed delicious food and drinks by Jin Yiwei, but it was also because of his surrender that he was not afraid at all when he saw Liao Fan, Yang Yipeng and others in the hall, and knelt down towards Lin Yaoyu and Xu Hongji: "Caomin Tianhu, I have met all of you sirs."
Lin Yao and Yu said sternly: "Tian Laohu, I want to ask you, what is the inside story of why you caused trouble in Taoyuan County? Or were you instigated by others?"
Tian Laohu was in his forties, a tall man, and was used to being a bandit. There was a hint of arrogance in his words: "In the 32nd year of Wanli, a common man Luocao joined the bandits, and then he took his troops to Taoyuan County. At that time, the prefect of Huai'an The Yamen sent people from the River Guards to negotiate with the grassroots people to make them surrender to the court, and then still led the troops to hijack the merchant ships passing by and demanded the fees for crossing the river."
"You rebel, you are talking nonsense," Liao Fan blushed and immediately became anxious: "Mr. Lin, I cannot believe the one-sided words of such a traitor. He has been detained by the Jin Yiwei for a long time. Maybe he has reached a consensus with the Jin Yiwei and is determined to frame him. The official and others."
"Presumptuous..." Zhao Xin is the envoy of Nanzhen and is qualified to stand in the hall. He immediately scolded Liao Fan: "I, the Imperial Guard, are the emperor's personal soldiers. How can I allow you to slander me like this?"
Chen Cao said with a smile: "I understand what Governor Liao means. According to your words, I can't believe the words of common people and thieves, so that's fine. Weng Shijie has been convicted of treason, so he is a rebel. "As he spoke, Chen Cao looked at Lin Yaoyu: "Master Lin, I wonder if you can believe the words of the rebels?"
Lin Yaoyu was defeated by an army. Chen Cao's words were obviously a trap. He was so scheming that he would not jump into it: "I think Mr. Liao is also impatient. The case has not been completed, so it is too early to draw a conclusion."
Chen Cao really admired Lin Yaoyu. No wonder he was able to mess around in the court for so long. He really had two brushes: "Tian Hu, please continue."
Tian Laohu continued: "The common people send money to the Governor of Water Transport and the General Military Office every six months, and each time it is more than 10,000 taels of silver."
"Hahaha..." Yang Yipeng laughed, and then said under the questioning eyes of everyone: "Since ancient times, people who accuse officials have sat down. I don't know what purpose Tian Laohu has to frame me, but I want to I would like to remind Mr. Chen that those who sue the officials from the people must first go through eighteen severe punishments, and those who can resist will be counted. If not, no matter what powerful words he says, it will be in vain."
Lin Yaoyu nodded with his lips curled up: "Master Yang's words make sense. Master Chen, do you Jin Yiwei have this rule? Or have you forgotten it?"
